How to choose the perfect blind Blinds are a great way to control light, set the mood, maintain privacy and they are ideal for simple clean living spaces. But how do you select the right blind for your home?REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT WITH A LOCAL ADVISOR Call us today on 0800 917 7480 Prefer to measure and fit yourself? for a great range to buy online.I promised last week to share the tutorial for the lined drapes I made for the waiting room I redecorated at work. Click HERE if you missed that post. This post is picture HEAVY to make it easier for you to see the step by step instructions. I always thinks it's much better to "see" the directions than "read" them. There are also little tips and tricks along the way. To start, we all have different window widths and lengths, so adjust for your own drapes. The drapes for my project were just for "looks"on the sides of the windows, not function. The drapes will never be closed in the office waiting room, so I only needed the 54 inch width of the home decor fabric.

(54 inches is the standard width for decorator fabric on the large bolts at the fabric store.) hookless shower curtain 71 x 84If your windows are wider, you will need to sew panels together to get the width you need.bed bath and beyond tamil shower curtain For the height or length of the drapes, measure the length from the rod (if using a pocket) or from the bottom of the clip ring (whatever system you are using). hookless fabric shower curtain with built in linerTake that measurement and add 12 inches.abid curtains upholstery

For example, my windows finished at 90 inches...so 90" plus 12" is 102".dunelm mill curtain buying guide 3 yards of fabric is 108 inches, so I purchased 3 yards for each side panel...always leave room for mistakes or mis-measures.extra long shower curtain dunelm They are not necessary, but some items will make the job a little easier.pencil pleat curtains argos lots of floor space! portable ironing mat and iron if you have them...rotary cutter and cutting mat quilt rulers if you have them...yard stick if you don't Here's the fabric I used in case anyone wanted to know the name. I bought it at Joann's...here's the link Just to worn you, you will be on the floor and on your knees a lot!!

To cut each panel or to straighten the edge, fold fabric in half lengthwise. Line the sides and the part you are cutting with lines on the cutting mat and then trim with ruler and rotary cutter. ...if you have tile floors, use the lines in the floor as a cutting guide. If you have quilt rulers, you know they are only 24 inches long. In the picture below, I used 2 rulers to cut the longer length I needed. See the yellow one on the bottom and the red one towards the top? Find the line on the bottom of cutting mat... Add the second ruler to the top to extend the first ruler... then line up the second ruler with the same number at the top of the mat. Trim with rotary cutter all the way up, holding the second ruler when needed. I also trimmed the selvage edge on both sides of the fabric. Selvage edges are very tightly woven and it pulls the fabric when sewn...making it pucker. did you know all those dots on the selvage edge are all the colors used in fabric.

This is great to take with you when picking other matching fabrics or paint colors for the room. Once everything is cut, lay fabric on the floor and fold up the bottom 8 inches. WATCH FOR DIRECTIONAL FABRICS WHEN DETERMINING THE BOTTOM AND TOP I placed the portable ironing mat under the hem and ironed flat. So much easier to keep every thing on the floor when working, rather than moving all that fabric to the stand up ironing board every time. Now unfold the 8 inch hem. and fold up the raw cut edge to the ironed line. You will have a 4 inch fold. Ironed all the way across. Now take that 4 inch fold and fold over again.You now have a 4 inch, double fold hem. Great weight for the drape to hang. Pin all the way across Sew close to edge. I use the inside edge of the foot as a guide. ...pin the hem with the point of the pin towards the edge you are sewing, but not quite in the lane of the stitch. That way you can sew away and not have to stop to remove pins or run them over and break a needle.

Lay flat on floor. The DIFFERENCE in hem is...you will fold up 4 inches first. and take raw edge and fold up to ironed line... Then take that 2 inch fold and fold up again. You now have a 2 inch wide, double fold hem. Match thread to lining too, for a professional look. Sew close to edge with same pin technique. Now place your hemmed lining on the drape, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. BUT only align one side of the edge. I aligned the right side in this picture. You will also leave 1-2 inches of drape fabric showing at the bottom. Here is the close up of the hems. I measured 1 1/2 inches of drapery fabric showing. Pin temporarily on the bottom until all measurements and smoothing are done. Right side pinned, and bottom measured at 1 1/2 inches. Now sew the RIGHT side only...the length of the drape with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Now the skootching part... Unpin the temporary bottom pins. Now drag over the lining fabric to the left side.

(this is where the 4 inch difference comes in for the widths) Line up the left side the length of the fabric. Make sure you remeasure the bottom hems at 1 1/2 inches again. Pin the length of the left side and sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, just like the right side. Now you  have a tube (open on the bottom and the top). Turn right side out. This is the only time I took it to the ironing board. I pressed the seams with drape fabric on one side and the lining on the other. This cleans up the seams. Back to the floor... Smooth out the fabric so the the drapery fabric is showing...even widths on each side. Stay on the floor and iron both sides. Finishing the corner points... See that raw edge of the drapery fabric? Fold it under diagonally. Sew with a hidden stitch. Start at the top... Pick up a little of the bottom fabric and come up with a little of the top fabric. See the little vertical stitches before you pull it tight?